Luggage with pull device

ABSTRACT

A pull strap for rolling luggage wherein one end of the strap is secured at the top surface of the luggage at one side of center; the free end of the strap is provided with a hand loop having a snap which may be releasably secured to a corresponding snap on the top surface of the luggage at the other side of center. Where a luggage handle having bails or loops is used, the strap, when stored, is drawn through the bails or loops thereby imparting a further finished and balanced appearance to the luggage.

United States Patent [191 Sollazzi et al.

[ Dec. 9, 1975 LUGGAGE WITH PULL DEVICE Inventors: Pasquale Robert Sollazzi, Newark,

Del.; Michael Avrum Kaufman, Melville, NY.

Rapid-American Corporation, New York, NY.

Filed: Aug. 8, 1974 Appl. No.: 495,647

Assignee:

US. Cl. 280/4737; 190/18 A Int. Cl. B62B 11/00 Field of Search 280/37, 43.13, 47.37, 47.38;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1946 Kelly 190/18 A 10/1970 Hawkes... 280/47.13 R

Sadow 190/18 A FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 212,352 3/1924 United Kingdom 190/18 A Primary ExaminerRobert R. Song Attorney, Agent, or FirmOstrolenk, Faber, Gerb & Soffen [57] ABSTRACT A pull strap for rolling luggage wherein one end of the strap is secured at the top surface of the luggage at one side of center; the free end of the strap is provided with a hand loop having a snap which may be releasably secured to a corresponding snap on the top surface of the luggage at the other side of center. Where a luggage handle having bails or loops is used, the strap, when stored, is drawn through the bails or loops thereby imparting a further finished and balanced appearance to the luggage.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec.9,1 97 5 SW10 3,924,872

US. Patent Dec. 9, 1975 Sheet 2 0f2 7 3,924,872-

LUGGAGE WITH PULL DEVICE The present invention relates to luggage, including suitcases and other structures hereinafter described, and more particularly to luggage equipped with integral rolling means so that the same may be drawn along where desired instead of being carried.

This invention has for its primary object the provision of a flexible strap arranged for pulling along luggage which is provided with wheels or other rolling mechanism on its underside.

One of the major problems in providing for wheeled luggage is not so much the provision of the rolling elements which may quite simply be attached to the luggage and may be made in such manner that they will not interfere with the overall general appearance of the luggage, but rather the provision of a strap or other means for pulling the luggage along once it has been provided with wheels.

Where luggage is tall enough so that the handle is at such a height that a person need not bend down to reach it, there may then be no problem; but nevertheless various means have been provided including rods or handles which are extensible vertically or horizontally, and various types of strap arrangements have been previously provided which are either fixed or securable and removable.

In every such case, the prior handles or extensible members were secured, or the securable and removable straps have been attached, primarily with the object in view of providing some kind of pulling or guiding means but with little or no regard for the balanced overall appearance of the luggage or the specific operation of the pulling device.

Also, the method of securement of such handles or straps and the location of the securement was obviously dictated by the expected need simply to pull a rolling object along rather than by a full understanding of the problems involved when the user of the luggage, who finds assistance unavailable, desires to transport the luggage himself, guide it accurately and maintain full control.

Another and important object of the present invention is the utilization of a permanently attached pulling strap for the luggage with the strap being so arranged, when in a stored position, that it preserves the balance and appearance of the luggage and not only does not interfere with the appearance but also enhances the style thereof.

Another object of the present invention is the arrangement of the pull strap for the wheeled luggage so that it is permanently secured at the top surface of the luggage on one side of the usual carrying handle thereof. By this means therefore the user of the luggage will have more accurate control of the luggage and, where the load allows, may exert not only a pulling but a slight upward force on the strap so that more of the load is then placed on the rear wheels and better control of the luggage is achieved.

In order to carry out the foregoing objects, the invention contemplates the securement of the strap by an appropriate means on one side of the handle, threading the strap through the bails or loops which support the strap and snapping the outer or hand loop end of the strap down on the luggage at a snap which is spaced at an appropriate distance on the other side of the handle, preferably but not necessarily the same distance as the 2 spacing of the securement member. The securement loop of the strap and the hand loop of the strap thus balance each other on either side of the handle when the strap is not in use, providing a balanced ornamental and pleasing appearance rather than a make-shift attachment type of appearance.

A further object of the invention thus includes not only a strap which may be threaded through the handle but also a strap which may extend alongside the handle from one side to the other thereof.

This makes it possible to use the novel transporting strap of the present invention in connection with even the finest luggage.

The foregoing and many other objects of the present invention will become apparent when reading the accompanying description and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing the novel strap transport arrangement of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective showing the manner in which the strap is moved in the process of arranging the same for storage.

FIG. 3 is another view corresponding to FIG. 2 showing another step in the process of arranging the strap into storage position.

FIG. 4 shows the pull strap of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 completely stored at the top of the luggage providing the balanced and highly acceptable appearance which is achieved by the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective showing an alternate pull strap arrangement and storage position.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the novel suitcase 10 of the present invention consists of a clothes receiving compartment 11 and a cover compartment 12 which are hinged at the bottom 13 of the suitcase 10 and may be closed by closing devices or locks 14,14 at the top section 15 of the suitcase. The suitcase 10 is provided with a handle 16 which is held on bails or rings 20,20, said rings 20 being secured to the top of the clothes carrying compartment 11 by metal securing loops 22,22.

The bottom 13 is provided as indicated in FIG. 1 with rolling members 30,30 at or adjacent each of the four corners of the bottom 13. Said rolling members may be universally rolling balls such as is generally indicated in FIG. 1, or may be wheels or other appropriate rolling devices.

While a suitcase having a main body and lid is here shown, it will be obvious that the structure herein described may be applicable to other structures including a suitcase having a zipper closure flap on one or both sides.

The pull strap 40 has a securing loop 41 which is passed through a ring 42, hingedly secured at 43 to the top of the suitcase on one side of the handle 16, loop 41 being riveted at 44 to the strap 40 to form a permanent securement.

The opposite end of strap 40 is provided with a hand loop 45, formed by the bending back of the strap 40 upon itself and securing the loop 45 by the rivet 46.

FIG. 1 shows the drawing or transport position of the strap wherein the user simply pulls the suitcase along by the strap 40. It will also be obvious that where the user, instead of merely pulling the suitcase along, pulls up very slightly on the strap 40, some of the load will be transferred from the front wheels under the strap to the rear wheels, providing even greater control of the position of the suitcase during transport; this, however, is not essential to the operation of the present invention.

When the strap is to be stored for transport of the luggage other than by rolling it along, or when the load in the luggage is relatively light, the handle loop 45 of the luggage is threaded through the bails or rings 20,20 which support the handle 16, and the hand loop 45 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, since it is provided with the snap 50, may then be snapped down on the retaining snap 51 at the top of the luggage. To facilitate threading through the bails 20, an end of loop 45 may be compressed by a rivet 52 which may be part of the structure of snap 50. Thus,,as will be seen in FIG. 4, as contrasted with the make-shift attachment type of appearance of luggage which has been provided with pulling means, the strap when stored for use or transport of the luggage other than by pulling the same along, provides a finished balanced highly acceptable appearance which thereby makes the utilization of the present invention proper for the finest type of luggage.

While a strap is here shown and described, it will be obvious that a chain or ornamental cord may be used in the same manner.

In FIG. 5 there is shown a modified form of the strap arrangement wherein the strap 140 is secured to the ring 142 which is placed at the top of the luggage but at one side of the axis of the handle 16; the strap loop 145 is formed by rivet 146 and the end of the strap loop may be secured by snap 150 to the luggage snap 151. Luggage snap 151 is also preferably placed at the same side of the axis of the handle as in the ring 142.

Under certain circumstances,.where the luggage handle is sufficiently large, the ring 142 for securing the strap may be located on one side of the handle axis and the snap 151 at the other side handle axis; in this case, the strap will traverse the luggage top diagonally beneath the handle when the strap is in stored position.

Theterm luggage in the present disclosure includes but is not limited to suitcases, attache cases, valises, trunks, satchles, train cases, tote bags, golf bags, sample cases, salesmens cases, display cases and others.

In the foregoing the present invention has been described in connection with preferred illustrated embodiments thereof. Since many modifications and variations of the present invention will now be obvious to 4 those skilled in the art, it is preferred that the scope of the present invention be determined not by the specific disclosures herein, but only by the appended claims.

We claim: l. In luggage having a bottom wall and a top wall; a flexible pull strap; means for permanently securing one end of said pull strap on said top wall; and means for releasably securing the other end of said pull strap on said top wall, the pull strap, when thus releasably secured, extending in substantial surface to surface relation along said top wall;

said bottom wall being provided with rolling members and the top wall is provided with a handle;

the said strap being permanently secured to said top wall on one side of said handle and releasably secured to said top wall on the other side of said handle;

said strap extending along said handle when said other end of the strap is releasably secured to said top wall;

mountings for said handle comprising loops, the openings of said loops extending normal to the strap when the strap is releasably secured at its said other end; the strap, when so secured, passing through said loops;

the strap being looped at its secured end and having a hand loop at its other end; a releasable attachment member on one surface of said hand loop and a corresponding releasable attachment member on the said top wall on the side of the handle opposite the point of securement of the strap; the said strap presenting a balanced appearance at the luggage top.

2. In the luggage of claim 1, the said strap being threaded through said handle loops when in a stored position of said strap with the aforesaid releasable attachment members engaged; and being removable from said handle loops for use as a pull strap.

3. In the luggage of claim 2, the said strap hand loop being compressed at its outer end to facilitate threading through the handle loops. 

1. In luggage having a bottom wall and a top wall; a flexible pull strap; means for permanently securing one end of said pull strap on said top wall; and means for releasably securing the other end of said pull strap on said top wall, the pull strap, when thus releasably secured, extending in substantial surface to surface relation along said top wall; said bottom wall being provided with rolling members and the top wall is provided with a handle; the said strap being permanently secured to said top wall on one side of said handle and releasably secured to said top wall on the other side of said handle; said strap extending along said handle when said other end of the strap is releasably secured to said top wall; mountings for said handle comprising loops, the openings of said loops extending normal to the strap when the strap is releasably secured at its said other end; the strap, when so secured, passing through said loops; the strap being looped at its secured end and having a hand loop at its other end; a releasable attachment member on one surface of said hand loop and a corresponding releasable attachment member on the said top wall on the side of the handle opposite the point of securement of the strap; the said strap presenting a balanced appearance at the luggage top.
 2. In the luggage of claim 1, the said strap being threaded through said handle loops when in a stored position of said strap with the aforesaid releasable attachment members engaged; and being removable from said handle loops for use as a pull strap.
 3. In the luggage of claim 2, the said strap hand loop being compressed at its outer end to facilitate threading through the handle loops. 